This one was so close to being four stars, but there were a couple of issues that held me back.

As with every Lanyon book that I've read, there wasn't any romance. One sex scene, yes, but definitely not your average M/M romance. Especially the ending (which I have issues with in general); Sam and Jason's emotional aspect of the story ended very suddenly, much like everything else. We didn't see them part ways, but it was mentioned in retrospection. I found this frustrating.

On the topic of the ending, it was completely dissatisfying. I get that sometimes cliffhangers are necessary, but this whole book seemed like a means to put off the next book. It began and ended with the lead-in to the next in the series, with the little magician mystery thrown in the middle of it, sort of like a side mystery. In that sense, it just felt like the book was incomplete, rather than it being a cliffhanger.

Additionally, the way that the "mystery" was wrapped-up was very perfunctory. What happened with the art theft? Were they going to do anything with what they learned? And what of the killer? What was the motivation? I feel like it everything was brushed over so quickly that I didn't get a sense of a solid conclusion to any part of the mystery.

One more thing, why was Jason left alone at the end when it's well known that his life is in danger? Is this just for the purpose of the cliffhanger? I found this very aggravating.

What I *did* enjoy were the little interactions throughout the novel. There were some moments that were nice, and others that were exciting. Overall, it was decent, and I'll read the next in the series.